Tricks of the Dead
by apple2011
Summary: When Bella Swan dies she discovers that Death is not the welcoming force she thought, instead she finds herself striking a deal to stay where she belongs. The deal is simple; she will never be able to die. Though as this deal unfolds she finds herself lost in sudden feelings for a certain pixie cut vampire. Bellice
1. Chapter 1

Tricks of the Dead

**Well this is the spinoff of my other story Death's advocate; you don't need to read that one as there will be no plot links though there may be some character references. Warnings for dry and offensive jokes or comedy.**

**Apple **

I was standing in my room when I heard voices, strange unfamiliar ones which crept up the stairs. My room was shrouded in darkness, it was night and for the first time Edward was not around to watch over me; he was hunting. The power had gone out the moment I woke up and the next thing I heard was a shattering and voices from below.

"Who the hell?" Charlie's voice demanded aloud but he was silent very quickly and I lunged for my phone, no signal. Great just great, I'm being robbed by who knows what and... maybe it was Victoria. My blood turned cold, only ensuring her a cool meal.

"Is this the room," a deep and official sounding voice asked and I stepped back from the door, hoping to hide from whoever was here. It didn't sound like a vampire, at least I hoped it wasn't but at the same time I wondered just who it could be. I silently reached into my bag and withdrew the pepper spray Charlie had got me.

Then the door was forced open and three men in black riot gear charged in, armed to teeth and only lacking the shields. I froze and my eyes were only drawn to the skull on their shoulder pads. I knew Police did not use them in Forks or any state that I knew of.

"Bella Swan?" one questioned and I only nodded, wondering what they wanted and hoping it was not with me. Sleek, long rifles the same colour as their amour were suddenly aimed at me and just when I was expecting an arrest they fired, something, or something's, pounded into my chest and I was falling backwards. My eyes closed and a strange light filled my eyes as the words _mission completed _filled my ears and darkness overcame me. Numbing my body and sending me to another place.

Another place however turned out to be a waiting room, a clinical white one with leather chairs, a selection of outdated magazines and no reception. There were others in there but no one was talking, in fact most of them were either clutching part of their body or weeping. Lights beamed down from above and I wondered just the where I hell I was and if I had dreamed being shot by three masked men. Then my eyes flickered to the magazines and my jaw opened.

_Yes your dead, a guide to the afterlife _

_Guilty or Not? The inner workings of the Fate Criminal Courts_

_Exclusive interview, pop stars give their death secrets. _

I was dead? No way this had to be some sort of joke? If I was dead would it really look like this? A doctor's waiting room, and besides death was just something that happened not... not some sort of business.

"Bella Swan," a smiling elderly woman in long black robes spoke my name gently. A kindness was behind it and her eyes caught mine, I raised my hand.

"Would you like to come with me dear?" she requested and gingerly I rose of the soft leather, watching this woman warily. I opened my mouth to speak

"Oh no, I'm not allowed to answer questions. Its policy," she cut me off before I could even speak and instead led me down a wooden hallway with red carpet and posters on the wall. Ones with shimmering writing and an odd look about them.

_Lived in autocracy? Ask about rehabilitation or de-North Koreaing now! _

_Keep calm and die on _

_Please forsake all your religions before seeing you case worker, they will be of little use._

"What?" I wasn't overly religious, you can't be really when you meet a family of vampires but what was going on? This was not how I expected death to be like and I wanted to know what was stopping me from hyperventilating and screaming the place down.

The woman knocked three times on a wooden oak door.

"Come in." The door was opened and the woman, not entering, held the door open for me.

"Miss Bella Swan," the old woman announced before shutting the door and leaving me in an office. A small one with a desk ,two sturdy chairs and a mess of paper both on the desk and around it. A computer monitor joined the paper while files littered all the bookshelves. Behind the desk was window but from what I could tell nothing was outside.

"Ahh Miss Swan, sit down I understand you must be scared. Don't worry you're in safe hands." A dark skinned woman smiled shaking my hand warmly, her pointed face alive with emotion while rounded eyes emitted repetition. This was just too weird.

"Sorry who the hell are you?" I wasn't normally a outspoken person, in fact I really wasn't even though I'm sure I used to be. Regardless my question had some merit.

"You're dead my dear, killed by our response team ten minutes ago. I'm Jasmine." The woman stated flicking her silky black hair as if it was nothing. Her voice I placed as British and suddenly I was even more confused.

"Sorry you killed me?" I demanded indignantly, I was confused, angry and half terrified.

"Well yes and no, shall I explain who I am?" Jasmine inquired gently much to my dismay and deciding I needed to understand this person in order to work out what the hell was going on I nodded my head.

"Well my name is Jasmine and I am a Death's Advocate. I am responsible for overseeing a number of cases and one of which is yours. My job is to get your file ready and sent you off to the afterlife, according to you file you have not committed any indecent moral offence so you'll go straight through. Now do you have any questions?"

"Ok why did you kill me?" I asked in a voice that brimmed with irritation; weirdness and being killed was not boding well for my temper.

"You outlived you death date, it was set at in the late evening two months ago." Wait I was supposed to die when James attacked? Was Edward not supposed to save me?

"Oh wait no, even longer. Your first meeting with a vampire in fact, this file is just..." The woman trailed off in a hiss. Wait I med Edward first, was he supposed to kill me?

"Death date?" I stated

"Yes, somehow this vampire didn't kill you, so we had to send in the forces. Don't worry we don't blame you, I think. This file was done by that ginger prick so we're never going to know."

"Who?" So my life had been filed by a prick who also happened to be ginger, I wasn't sure what that had to do with anything.

"Yes, take on his work he said, it will be great he said. I'll pay you extra he said, I should have known that moment it was a trick."

"Sorry the ginger one?" I was frowning now,

"No Death, but my complaints aren't for you. They're for the union. Don't ever mention the word union again!" She barked harshly and I was about to give up on this entire conversation. Then I decided to try one last time.

"Are you ok?" I asked rightfully worried, the woman did not seem overly stable in her current position

"Look I don't know what you're talking about ok! I have no idea. If I'm dead whatever but the first vampire I met was vegan."

"Vegan?" Jasmine repeated disbelievingly, then her eyes flickered with light. "Wait Cullens?"

"Yes!" Jasmine looked ready to pass out; she was glaring at me with visible fear. Then she buried her head in her hands and sighed deeply.

"Oh for crying out loud!" she screamed standing up, she was beyond angry and stormed to the door.

"Usher, I need Death here now!" she demanded before roughly slamming the door. I just watched, what was going in this place now!

"Sorry what the hell is going on now?" I demanded deciding it best to ask now, Jasmine turned to me and sighed.

"There's been a screw up. Your last caseworker didn't realise that not all vampires were blood thirsty animals. Death!" Jasmine screamed again storming back to her desk and typing on a crystal white keyboard with ferocity. I gave up then.

"Right then, what the bloody hell is going on here? Believe it or not I actually have work to do, and meeting your every need isn't a job for me, in fact most men fail at it so what do you want!" A high cold voice spoke slowly from the door and I turned around to see a man stood at the doorway. A tall man who was unnaturally thin with a stressed mess of hair and sickly pale skin, his sunken eyes didn't even glance over at me. I wondered if he was were her manager or something, Death had to be a title or something.

"There's been a problem with the filing, this girl's entire file is wrong. The build up is impossible as is her death date." Jasmine stated and the man's irked voice spoke again but this time with what could only constitute as worry.

"What?"

"The vampire that was supposed to have killed her was vegan! One of the Cullen clan." Jasmine affirmed and that pale sickly man swopped over to the other side of the desk and began studying the computer screen with intensity. What were they looking at?

"Right, if I don't get to throw him out for this, then... wait a minute if this vampire couldn't have killed her how long was she off file?" The man asked sounding aghast and casting a glance in my direction. Jasmine looked abashed.

"A few months, the response team..."

"Two months! She should have died two months ago!" the man began to half shout,

"The response..."

"Why didn't you just tell me instead of going through the response team! They're about as effective as the US in Vietnam!"

"Death you started, in fact it was an economic boom." Jasmine stated, great so now I was realising that war was just cash to these people.

"I know," the other man looked dreamy and suddenly I picked up on something.

"Sorry Death?" she was calling him Death, the man looked at me. He didn't look thrilled to see me.

"That's me, I'm Death, taker of souls and the rest. Sorry no cloak and scythe, now Jasmine how did this happen?"

"Sorry Death's real?" I interrupted.

"Evidently, look shut up! For some reason a vampire didn't kill you and now I need to know what's going on. Jasmine what's this, subjection E, it has Tiff's code."

"Oh it's that cancelled storyline, you know the vampire reform project?" ahh Vampires now they were at least talking sense.

"Oh that one, the abandonment and child thing?" Wait what?

"That one, it was cancelled due to budget constraints and it was _his _idea." I was lost now, whatever they were talking about could just go on , I had a feeling it had stopped concerning me a while ago.

"Are you telling me that this department has had a A grade screw up and it was fucking Dave's fault!" Who was Dave?

"Yes, great so hang on. Why didn't the failsafe kick in? Surely the vampires would have had you killed the moment you knew?"

"They wouldn't do that, me and their son are together." I thought of Edward and just what he would make of all this. The pale faced man frowned,

"Wait you love him?" I nodded at his quizzical face.

"That's impossible, originally you and him were to be married, the budget was cut a month before we were going to enact and the file was rewritten. It would be impossible for you to love him." Death dismissed immediately.

"Well I do and he loves me!" I replied indignantly, I didn't know much right now but I loved him, I knew that!

"No he can't, I would not have allowed it!"

"And what gives you the power to dictate who I love? " I demanded in a voice which sounded alien to me.

"I'm Death!"

"Well get Edwards file or whatever and show me where it says he can't love me!"

Sorry vampires aren't my department unless they die. Anyway Jasmine we need do something here,"

"We have to report it don't we?" The pale faced man glared at her with his mouth agape.

"And do a full review of every file he ever worked on! Do you have any idea how expensive that will be? Our budget is more constrained than a bondage enthusiast! A full review... no ok! We can't." Death asked slowly looking around warily as if he was some sort of criminal.

"Can't you just send me back?" I was lost now, was I supposed to be dead or not? Did it even matter?

"She's right, what about a special application. Total file change." Death glared at her even more at the suggestion and unsaid words were passed between them.

"What can we do? Pretend this never happened?"

"No, time and relations to mortals act, section three prevents that. Unless." What act? In the short time I had been in this strange place the only thing I wanted to know was how to leave and instead it seemed I was being given a course in law. Or more accurately how to get around the law,

"Unless we tear the file up and exempt her!"

"You're doing what to me now?"

"Sorry Miss Swan, one minute." Jasmine was talking now and looking very worried, even more so than she had been earlier.

"Sorry no ok! You can have your little talk whenever you want bust if you're going to talk about me, then I'd like to be involved." I informed them darkly. The man smiled.

"Indeed, miss Swan I am suggesting that we exempt you from the institution of death itself."

"What does that mean?" I inquired and the pale faced man took a step closer to me.

"It means you cannot die. It would be impossible for you to die, no matter what happened you would stitch yourself back together and live on." Death answered slowly.

"Why are you so worried."

"Because it's illegal," Jasmine hissed but I didn't really care about their laws, not when I had a chance at being immortal, I could live with Edward, forever.

"Not if we annihilate the file, Bella Swan would technically in our world never exist and when the time comes we can quietly escort to the afterlife, Rebecca owes me a favour anyway. Though I am obviously concerned about this love issue."

"It's not an issue." I countered and I was met with rolling eyes

"Yes it is, a serious one! Miss Swan it would have been impossible for you to fall in love with him. You see your life once was full of love for him, then we cut it out!"

"Well I do love him!" Was all I said, suddenly getting the feeling I was causing a lot of problems.

"Wait doesn't one of the Cullens have the ability to manipulate emotions?" she was right, Jasper could do that but he wouldn't do anything like that. I didn't even know him until after I knew Edward.

"You didn't like the first day of school did you?" Jasmine inquired and I moved to say yes, but the answer was no, I thought he hated me and I didn't really get a good feel of him.

"There we go. Mystery solved." Death smiled with false warmth "Now do you have any complaints about us sending you back to your own world, without the ability to die."

"Yes what does not dying entail?"

"Not dying." Death hissed. Jasmine realised what I meant.

"Basically your heart will stop, blood won't flow but you will still be able to eat, drink and everything else. Injures you will recover from very quickly and its not a bad thing. As long as you don't mind crushing loneliness in say a hundred years."

"I have vampires for that." I smiled.

"Yes also it will remove any adverse affects of emotional manipulation." Oh great so he still thought I was being forced to love Edward but if it got him off my case.

"Fine."

"Great, I'll keep you in regular contact and if anyone you know asks about this, it never happened ok?"

I nodded in confirmation and the pale faced man smiled and clicked his fingers, one of the files on the desk burst into flames and I was falling, though this time into light.

The next thing I knew was I on my bedroom floor, before I could hope it was a dream a loud cracking noise filled the air. A sickening crunch and three bullets oozed out of my chest and I could feel my bones slot back into place. Though I was suddenly hit with another realisation.

I didn't love Edward Cullen


	2. Chapter 2

Tricks of the Dead

"Bella!" Charlie's voice shook me from my sudden realisation and I realised it was already morning, for a second I wondered if it was a dream. A way for my mind to accept I didn't love Edward, then I saw the proof.

Next to me on the floor were three sleek, black bullets; all of which had been buried in my chest. I could remember the bloodcurdling sound when they had removed themselves and then nothing, I must have gone into shock or just forgotten. I was trying to rationalise everything though that was no longer going to work.

I had been dead, no I was dead and I worked that out the second after taking my pulse. It was gone, with hand to my chest I felt my heart. I had stopped and every time I took a breath it felt more like habit than anything else.

"Bella!" Charlie called again and while I would have appreciated a day of contemplating the complex theology of being dead I had to get up. Though I noticed that Charlie was sat on the kitchen table, eating a few mouthfuls of overcooked bacon and holding an icepack to his head.

"Bella did something happen last night?" he asked and then it clicked, those death officers? Or whatever they were had knocked him out to get to me. Why didn't they at least put him back in his bed, I didn't want to try and answer his questions; I was a terrible liar.

"It's just that I woke up on the stairs, feeling like I had been gone over with a nightstick." He continued putting the icepack down and twirling his moustache, as if he was making sure it was still there.

"Maybe you should have a few less beers before bed," I suggested and he chuckled loudly, assuming it was a joke.

"Trust me it wasn't that!" he replied in reassuring tones, I rolled my eyes rather obviously. I didn't really want to explain what happened, to be honest I couldn't explain what happened. It would go along the lines _oh yeah a bunch of masked men shot me, though it turns out some idiot messed up some paperwork so they sent me back and I can't die. _Yes that sentence alone should get me shipped to the local asylum within the hour.

"Well maybe you were just tired, you do work too hard." I half scolded, he did work too hard and at least that wasn't a lie, he smiled.

"Well it brings home the bacon," he gestured to his half finished breakfast before standing to his feet. I had the feeling that was an invitation for me to wash up.

"See you later," I smiled and with a quick hug he was gone, I just sat down. I had not appetite and that wasn't due to the fact I was dead. How the hell was I going to tell Edward I didn't love him, I didn't even understand why I didn't love him. Or perhaps I didn't understand why I ever loved him, sure he was both cute and mysterious but... I didn't have another point; that was all he had and I didn't find it as attractive as I had.

_Doesn't one of the Cullens have the ability to manipulate emotions? _Yes I remembered those words, Jasper had that power but surely he wouldn't use it on me. Why would he? What does he have to gain from me loving Edward? Something was deeply wrong and I no longer wanted any part of it.

Later

Sometimes I really hate people, Mike Newton had very rapidly become the main target of those feelings and in fact it had taken him less than five minutes. I had just bumped into Edward, with the intention of having a long, public, drawn out talk with him. Then Newton appeared and half demanded I go with him to gym, and me being so polite was forced into agreeing. Half because Edward found it funny and half because I didn't have the guts to say no and break his little heart. Sometimes I confused myself, I mean I could dictate to Death himself and yet couldn't say no to a kid with a crush.

"Edward." I smiled relived the moment I got into Biology, knowing it would be my only chance to talk to him all day, he returned my beam but not for the same reasons. I needed to talk to him and he needed to listen.

"I need to talk to you." I took a single, long breath the moment I sat down. Fully intending to explain how he had introduced me to a new world, shown me a passion I would never see again and how he would always be my first real love. Then I would begin and tell him that I had fallen out of love with him. The plan was not perfect, but it was all I had.

"Bella are you ok?" he asked concerned, deeply so and I wondered just why he was asking. Was it because of what I said or could he sense the fact I was no longer living, my blood was no longer flowing so could he still smell it? Did he once have the power to hear my heartbeat and now he knew it was gone.

"Sure why?" I inquired mentally kicking myself, this was not the conversation I had been hoping for.

"It's just, there's something different about you." He stated almost accusingly and then I decided to just come out with it. To just say it.

"_Bella Swan to the principal's office." _The announcer took over the hatred from there, he had just had to interrupt the one moment of the day that was actually going to make a difference. The once chance I had to get it over and done with.

"You better go Miss Swan." I didn't even have the chance to say anything more to Edward and with a mental sigh I stood up, wondering exactly why the principal needed to see me. Had I done something wrong? Had something happened? With Charlie being a cop my mind turned to the worst but then I thought of the plain dull offices I had seen just last night and surely I would have been told my father would be joining me!

Being called to the principal's office was rare for me, the school had so few people I gathered that only the really bad or overly good ones were summoned. I only vaguely knew where it was, at the end of the far hall and it was the blue door. No one was around I could hear the sound of shredding inside, I knocked.

"Come in." A voice requested that I did not recognise as the principal'.

"You wanted to see me?" I inquired gently opening the door and instead gawped, there was a person sat behind the trembling wooden desk. Laid back in a black leather sit and not glancing at the computer screen which would hold all sorts of secure school related date. This man did not care for the many files dotted around the room and instead was focused on a shredder he had propped on the desk and a face down file next to it. A pale hand was slowly feeding it sheet after sheet.

The man himself was pale, tall and had a mop of black hair which was darkened by the closed curtains, in one hand he was feeding the shredder and the other was clasped around a steaming mug. I knew him, it was Death.

"Ahh Miss Swan, please sit down." He requested gently and for a second I contemplated running, the door closed behind me immediately. Could he read my mind or was he just being careful? Eventually I took the uncomfortable fabric chair opposite him.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded in hushed tones, scared the real principal would turn up to find me and a strange deathly figure in his office. The man in front of me just smiled and shook his head.

"Relax, there is no hope of the real principal showing up. I gave him a dose of the flu." Death confessed not even bothering to lie or mix up the truth, he didn't care.

"But, but... why?" Was all I could ask , why would you give someone flu if he just needed to talk to me!

"Have you ever tried disposing of a file Miss Swan? I'm talking the ones with your entire life story and that's not including the copy I had to steal from the vaults." I looked at what he was shredding; it had Bella Swan marked on it in big red letters.

"You have an office." I pointed out suddenly, not knowing exactly why either of us were in the room. The man looked up.

"An office that is more watched than a cat on the internet, besides disposing of your file like this, banning from ever dying is somewhat illegal in my world." Oh so he had journeyed to my school just so he could break his own laws? I

"Now I just wanted to run through what's going to happen from here, you did notice your pulse and heart had stopped right?"

"Yes!" I responded to his sarcastic tone firmly.

"Oh good, now Miss Swan."

"Bella," he might as well address me informally if he was going to carry out technically illegal actions in front of me.

"I don't care, now have you also realised the deep love you held for Edward Cullen last night is nonexistent?" he continued with a smug smile.

"Yes." I sighed.

"Excellent, once again I prove myself to be right."

"Do you have anything else to do other than gloat?" I hissed feeling slightly angry that I had been called out of a lesson by Death just so he could insult and lord over me. The man considered for a few seconds.

"Yes, I really needed to let you know that if you are asked we have never met and you have _never _been to the world of the dead. I spent one hell of a lot of money retiring your escort yesterday, so let me get that clear. Secondly, I need to know if there is anything you still don't understand,"

"I thought I had never met you." I retorted with an irritation clear in my voice.

"You haven't, but there is currently and internal inquiry going on about our budget and Fate has appointed her PA to run it. The same person who screwed up your file by the way, so I'm going to do as little work in the department today as humanly possible. So do you have any questions?"

"If I can't die do I age?" that was a pressing concern considering I had just realised that in a few hundred years I would still probably be around.

"No, your body is for all intents and purposes dead. It won't age, nor will become injured or diseased. Your body just stitches itself back together; feel free to guillotine yourself if you want to test it." Death answered and in my mind I saw my head rolling down a street with a clumsy body in pursuit. It looked like something from a cartoon.

"So what about feelings?"

"Pleasure or Pain? I won't answer the first one." Death half asked and I was actually talking about pain, I guessed having limbs removed hurt no matter whether you could put yourself back together or not.

"Pain then." I stated wondering why he had expected me to even answer.

"You'll feel a tingle with most things, a stubbed toe, snapped arm will all feel the same. Tear your arm off and it won't feel good but will hurt an infinite amount less than it would do normally. As for the other one everything is still functioning." His last sentence sent dark shivers down my spine and I had to fight the urge to comment.

"Ok eww,"

"And yes before you spend ten minutes trying to work out how to ask why you fell in love with Edward, I actually have the answer right here." A brown file was placed in my hands, a thin one with the words Edward C – born 1901 – turned 1918.

"Tiff, the fury who manages vampires owes me a favour for covering up a few things. So I asked for a cope, I've taken everything about his future out, but it will tell you everything you need to know." Death explained and I held it in my hands, wondering I really wanted to read it.

"Well if that's everything I'm going home, remember if anyone asks we don't know each other." With that he was gone and I was left in an empty voice, with the life story of Edward Cullen in my hands. All the answers I wanted were inside this file.


	3. Chapter 3

Tricks of the Dead

Curiosity got the better of me within ten minutes of Death vanishing and I opened the file, the first page was a lot of numbers and letters and I had no clue about any of them. From strange squiggly lines to a six digit code it was just odd; thankfully the second page had clearer language. It was a chart with dates scrawled on and notes scribbled in the column.

_Changed 1918: Carlisle Cullen, became part of Cullen Clan – see "Vegan Vampires" for more detail._

Ok I knew that, though some parts were new to me and I had no idea whether or not to be angry that I hadn't been told. His little episode hunting down criminals to eat being the main one, it seemed to explain a lot of the guilt and worry he carried around with him. It was strange to think like that, almost scornfully though my opinion quickly changed when I scanned the next few lines. Most were just mentions of either moving or meeting new people, Esme, Alice and the rest all in order though then I saw my name.

_Bella Swan, met in class, note - redacted storyline present, refer to caseworker. _Now while I knew whoever my caseworker was, must have screwed everything up the next line sent a chill through my spine.

_Subject has intense feeling for "singer" Bella Swan, her response is not set out in case file, other Cullen "Jasper" has been contacted. He asked for the girl to be influenced into loving him. Note - still no response from Miss Swan's caseworker. _

So he had done it? This file came from Death himself and the man had been right all the way so far. From his original guess I didn't love Edward and now this, I knew this file was the truth.

My stomach plummeted in a horrifying mixture of disgust and disbelief. He had asked someone else to make him love me? And Jasper said yes? Why would he do that? He didn't even know me and he simply decided to make me Edward's... I couldn't think of the word. Pet seemed to be the only one that sprang to mind.

_Reference – Subject's powers have made him aware of the Jasper-Alice dilemma. See the immortal applications section of the Time and Relations to Mortals act for reference. _Wait I knew about that, it was something to do with Death not revealing himself or at least a bit like that. So what had Jasper done to mess around with this? Was Edward blackmailing him? Even that didn't seem right but then again my entire life had just been thrown out of sync. How could Edward have done this to me? Why not just ask and see if he could get to know me?

Anger quickly replaced any other feeling I might have had; I had been used and my undying veins were pulsing with anger. I slipped the file into my bag and stormed out of the office, ignoring anyone and everyone in my way. I was fuming and then;

"Bella!" A voice squeaked and I was pulled into an emotion draining hug with nothing more than a flash of pixie cut hair serving as a warning.

"Alice!" I exclaimed catching unneeded breath to recover from her very sudden, crushing embrace.

"You feel, different." Alice said in an almost accusing voice while taking a deep exhale, trying to figure out what the problem was. The hall was empty and I was half expecting her to suddenly start sniffing me.

"Do I? Edward said the same thing," I shrugged as if it was no big deal, Alice however was unconvinced and narrowed her eyes.

"What is it?" She pouted in an almost childlike way, "It's not new hair, you need new clothes but it's not that, you're not injured, surprisingly, and you're still alive." She began to think and I wanted to laugh at her last option. If only she knew how wrong she was and I decided to let the comment about my clothes slide for now,

"Maybe it's just you," I suggested casually hoping she would change the subject, instead she thrust a hand out and laid it on my chest. For a second I was worried she would realise my heart had stopped.

"Um Alice, while I love you and everything; I think feeling me up in public is still a line we haven't yet crossed and probably aren't going to cross. Remember your vampire-married." I joked and it was enough, Alice put on a mock pouty face and withdrew her hand. Hopefully not noticing but I wasn't going to take any chances.

"Awww really?" she half sulked and I had to suppress a giggle. Though I could tell she wasn't convinced I was ok,

"Tell you what as you think I need new clothes why don't we go shopping on Friday, we can look for a whole new wardrobe." I regretted those words the moment I said them because they were twisted from a non-committal suggestion to a binding event. Alice's eyes told me that much as they lit up like jackpot signs and I wondered just how much she was resisting the urge to drag me shopping now.

"Really, Really, Really?" she asked in a fast paced ecstatic tone and I reluctantly nodded in confirmation, it was half worth it to see her face light up.

"Really, now I think I need to get to... lunch apparently." The bell rang before I could even finish the sentence which meant two things, firstly my breakup with Edward was going to be done either in the cafeteria or not today and I would spend most of my lunch planning a shopping trip.

My powers of prophecy came true not five minutes after I had gotten lunch and sat down, Alice was the only Cullen at the table and within about three seconds the topic was on our sudden shopping trip. Either her mind ran at the speed of light or she had spent the last three months planning this, as every shop was detailed and six hours of my time was budgeted with allowances for overtime. To the average girl it would have been a dream coming true; I instead was wondering why I didn't take that one way trip to the afterlife.

"Bella," Edward sat down and flashed me a dazzling smile which I returned reluctantly knowing I couldn't just tell him what he knew. I wasn't allowed to talk about the world of the dead or any of it but that didn't mean I was going to let him off scot-free.

"Edward," I greeted taking a breath and then I noticed he took a deep exhale and then he looked at me quizzically, again.

"It's your blood." Oh dear his mind was now working and Alice frowned before turning to me to,

"Yeah, he's right. I can smell your blood but... it's almost like it is static." Alice spoke slowly and was evidently confused. I however was in trouble and using shopping as a distraction wasn't going to work this time. Then again even if did I would have had to try anything else,

"Well I'm sure it's normal, I'm alive after all." I smiled praying that they wouldn't probe further, though I knew I was wrong.

"Bella you could break every bone in your body and still say your fine. Can we least agree on that?" Alice smiled as Rosalie and Emmet came to the table, Jasper wasn't here and I was glad. Already I was tempted to murder him or at least demand an explanation.

"What are we agreeing on?" Emmet asked bluntly and I raised my eyebrows.

"That Bella isn't the best judge of how she's feeling." Alice answered, Emmet didn't even hesitate.

"Agreed." He confirmed while his wife thankfully remained silent and simply stared at me, how did these things happen to me? I try and breakup with someone and instead I get the high school version of the Spanish inquisition.

"Now moving on..." I tried but was cut off.

"No, let's not. Especially when you're around vampires! Maybe you should get Carlisle to check you out..." No! I wanted to shout at Edward. If there was one person who would see right through me, it was him.

"Why?" Rosalie asked and was treated to an in-depth explanation of my blood problems.

"Ok, I don't get the problem. In case none of you remember those days, humans need blood to keep living. If her blood had stopped then, while I'm shocked I even have to say this, she wouldn't be living anymore." In her sentence I knew two things, firstly she was on my side and secondly I had to introduce her to Death one day.

"She has a point." I announced, not overly sure how much my own opinion was going to play into this conversation. Both Alice and Edward seemed to reluctantly agree and suddenly I was safe, at least for another few seconds.

"Anyway what did you want to talk to me about?" Edward asked and then lunch was a thing of the past and I decided I wasn't going to do it in public, at least in the middle of the cafeteria public.

"Can we talk in private?" I asked and Edward frowned.

"What I want to say needs to be said alone." My voice was suddenly soft and comforting causing both Alice and Rosalie to look at me in alarm, both of them knowing the voice. Edward did not and simply nodded and stood to his feet.

"Bella what are you doing?" Alice hissed suddenly realising why I would need to comfort him before a conversation.

"What my heart tells me." I excused before slowly walking off with Edward, not taking his outstretched hand and only when we were both well out of earshot, though I had the dark feeling they were all listening. I sat down on a stone slab, behind me a half grown bush and took a breath.

"Edward, I wanted to say two things." I began ever so slowly feeling almost bad for saying it, though thinking of that file made it a lot of easier and then I was considering doing a little song and dance to accompany this breakup. What the hell was I doing feeling bad? I had let myself forget he was the one who had manipulated me for his own purposes. Though being nice was in my nature.

"Firstly you have introduced me to a wonderful and magical world that I only dreamed of, one I will never be able to understand and never be able to join." I was already a part of it but his soul complex wasn't going to know that. Ever.

"Ok..." Edward trailed off and I saw a ruffle in the distance, telling me one thing; we were being listened to.

"Though it can't go on, Edward... I... oh screw it. I don't love you anymore." I blurted out and he was speechless, his face fell into a mixture of shock and disbelief. I just couldn't do it, sparing the feelings of a man who had just used me... that was just a no.

"I just can't love you, today I realised. You're not the one for me, I was cut up by what you were and you were the same. You loved me because of my blood, not because of me. I'm sorry Edward." That was all I could say and then I got up and slowly walked away,

"Bella!" he called from behind but I said nothing, his voice was filled with anger and shock but I was already out of earshot. He couldn't do much now, all of his powers were pretty much useless in public and unbeknownst to him they wouldn't do much to me. I couldn't die so all in all they would have almost no effect on me other than slight discomfort.

Though as I walked away I couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't just over yet, in abundance dread accompanied it and I walked slightly faster.


	4. Chapter 4

Tricks of the Dead

"You broke up with Edward Cullen?" Jessica questioned the moment she had heard, somehow gossip defied every single law of physics as the entire school knew by the end of lunch. I still have no idea how that happened and I didn't know why so many people cared so much, Edward had spent the entire second half of lunch glaring at me. I had sat apart from the Cullen table knowing he would need time to vent, why I had been so nice to him was a mystery. The bastard had been using me from day one, well at least he couldn't do anything about it. My life was my life and now he had no control over it, none whatsoever.

"Yes," I confirmed with a slightly bored expression on my face as we walked side by side towards the exit,

"You broke up with Edward Cullen?" she asked again just looking at me like I had suddenly gone mad. I was barely looking at her and yet I could feel the judgement,

"Yes." I stated once more wondering if my words were having any actual impact whatsoever, the answer was no as she opened her mouth to ask the same question again.

"Look she broke up with Edward Cullen, unless you have any more questions move." Rosalie of all people interjected cutting in the middle of us, Jessica shrank to the side without a word and thankfully I briskly walked on.

"Ok Bella, start explaining." She ordered immediately, I looked at her with the same puzzled look I had just been victim to. Her golden eyes bore into mine with unmasked irritation, she sighed and dramatically flicked her long wavy hair before answering.

"I broke up..."

"I don't care about that, I mean start explaining how it happened. Not the breakup," she stopped me before I could explain, what else could she mean and I was going to ask. Though she obviously realised this.

"Look unlike most I can control my thoughts from time to time and keep them quiet from those listening in. It's a unique ability I have I think and another is I can also make a reasonable guess. Say if there was an obvious issue with someone, an issue that no one else had noticed because it was too improbable then I would have worked it out already. So when I say start explaining, it means spare me the diversions and distractions and tell me why your heart isn't beating!" she demanded with no regard for where we were.

"What!" I stated in a tone that both denied it and questioned how she had already worked it out, once more she was evidently irked. I felt like I was being interrogated and somehow she had managed to make me confess within three minutes.

"Look I don't care really, I just want to know I'm right. Which I am so I'd like the explanation now." she cut me off well before I could make an excuse. I thought for a few long seconds,

"Ok look, I'm dead." I began expecting disbelief or at the very least shock horror. Instead I got a simple smile and soft chuckle.

"I knew it, how?" Rosalie asked not even questioning the fact I was dead and yet talking to her, then again the same could be said in reverse. Though I was no vampire.

"I was shot and I can't tell you much else." I tried to shoo her away from the topic knowing Death did not want me to tell anyone, I was not too sure what would happen if I did.

"Well in which case I was right, your dead and not a vampire. Perfectly fine, no one else would have guessed that." Rosalie was suddenly talking to herself with an almost glazed look passing over her stunning face and form. Wait stunning? Since when did I think like that?

"Well done." I told her with a slight degree of sarcasm as I contemplated my previous thoughts,

"I know, I'm brilliant. I won't tell anyone and won't think about it in his presence, it's more fun to watch them try to figure it out," she smiled with an excited flash upon her. Then she was gone and I was by my truck, I froze for a moment. Not sure just how to react to being found out within a day, though I then saw Mike Newton walking towards me. Oh dear, if he had found out then his first reaction would be to try his luck.

I was in the truck and speeding away before he was within three metres of me, there was no way in this universe or any other universe he even had a chance. In fact I wasn't even going to hear him out, somehow I just had to avoid him for the rest of high school, or I could just wait for him to die and go back then. Knowing the girls around here I wouldn't be waiting too long.

Though waiting for people to die was a perfectly valid tactic it didn't work on some people, in particular the pale teenager standing on the front lawn. It was Edward and I considered just for a second wrapping the truck around a tree, though knowing him he would try and save me so I just parked.

"What do you want?" I barked, I was done being nice to him now. He had a cool, calm breakup and that was it.

"Bella," He greeted ignoring me completely and just for a second I realised how much of our relationship had been based on him ignoring me. Well he paid attention to my state of health and mind but that was it, in the same way somehow would care for a lost puppy or treasured object. Then James tried to steal me and he killed him, I was liking my metaphor less and less thanks to its accuracy.

"Again what exactly do you want?" I demanded walking up to the front door, fully intending to close it as hard and as quickly as I could. He had his foot in the door before I could blink.

"Bella, what's happened," his voice took on a soft, loving tone which sent a chill down my spine, an unpleasant one.

"We broke up, do I really need to explain that to you?" I inquired rhetorically, hoping I did not.

"Yes, why would you do that?" He now sounded like a father trying to force his child to explain, thankfully my father was not him and I was not his child or possession.

"I don't want to be with you is the normal answer to that question," I frowned at him, how much more of this was going to go on?

"But I love you and you love me!" he whined trying to come in but not resorting to raw strength.

"No, I don't tend to break up with those I love. Anything else or can I close the door now, I have better things to talk do than talk to you." I spoke the entire time with a sweetened smile which was making him even more agitated.

"No Bella you love me." No I did not and this time speech wasn't even needed as Charlie pulled up, no longer on call and I was half daring Edward to continue.

"Look Edward, we're done now go away!" I said loudly and in accordance with Charlie walking towards the front door, Edward took one look at the man and reluctantly walked away. He wasn't stupid enough to expose himself here.

"You ok Bella?" I was asked the moment Charlie had finished shooting Edward a dark, threatening glare. I smiled

"Fine, boys don't take breakups too well," I told him and he looked almost delighted and yet slightly puzzled.

"You broke up with him! I thought you were all over him?" The way he said it was slightly creepy and the idea of me being all over him was suddenly disturbing,

"Let's just say I got over him." Indeed I got over him by getting three bullets in the chest which reminded me I wanted to have another look at that file. Something in it was just, on my mind.

"Well if he gives you any trouble then a night in the cells might just sort him out," Charlie grumbled before going towards the living room in something of a huff. He was not a fan of teenage boys on the whole I suspected and having one annoying his daughter, though he had no idea just how much, was really winding him up.

I made brief small talk before excusing myself to my room and immediately taking out Edward's file. I quickly searched it looking for the one bit which had bothered me the most, it took me a few minutes to get halfway down the list and there it was.

Jasper-Alice dilemma, that bothered me. What was that? Something had an impact on an act which somehow prevented doing things, just thinking that made me realise how little I knew about the laws of the other world. Other than that I was seriously messing them up.

Whatever the case I wanted to know more about this, after all Jasper had been the one influencing me and I had a few ideas what he could be doing to Alice but they were supposed to be mates. Then again I was supposed to be in love with Edward forever if those two had their way. Though the only way I was going to find out was if I could talk to Death. Contacting him though was something I didn't know how to do. It had always been the other way around.

_Immortal offices, call l or email _

Oh wait there was actually a number on a sticker at the back of the file. Though it wasn't for Death it was for whoever wrote this file and I think Death mentioned it being someone called Tiff, I grabbed my phone. The number was very long and I wondered if it would actually work, I put it in anyway and was just about to press call when my phone sparked into life.

_"__What the hell are you doing?" _A voice demanded coolly, it was Death.

"Death?" I questioned just wanting to be sure.

_"I thought I said we've never met, you were just about to call up! You wouldn't have got through by the security would have relayed it to Lady Fate, my boss. Now what the bloody hell are you thinking?" _the voice was hoarse and on the verge of furious. Ok I now knew not to do that again.

"I needed to ask you some questions."

_"__Well the way you're going about it could mean you'll be the one answering the questions, in the Fate Criminal Courts. Now luckily I'm at home and have a monitoring tab on you. Now what do you want? I thought I covered all questions?" _

"Wait you can be tried for crimes? And whoa whoa whoa, what do you mean monitoring tab?" I inquired going off topic, he was Death could he really go to some immortal version of jail. I might send him there myself he didn't answer why he had a monitoring tab open

_"__Yes, I'm Death though so I have to work and that means I'll get a fine and your caseworker will be imprisoned instead, though Fate will most likely kill me so hurry up and ask the real question. I don't have work to do but I would like to actually use this time off," _Death continued.

"So why do you have a tab with me on it?" I asked and received silence in response.

_"__Question please__," _he stated without an answer and I gave up there and then.

"Fine, that file you gave me?" I began and he muttering something in confirmation "What's the Alice and Jasper dilemma?"

_"__What, I thought I censored that!" _Death suddenly sounded worried and I waited on him to say something more.

"Well?" I enticed him to continue and after a heavy breath he did so.

_"It's a legal issue that came up a number of years ago, something happened and one group wanted to interfere and the other didn't. It ended with a suspension of a file and the pause on her immortal life. Tiff's fighting it in the courts." _Death explained obviously not wanting to explain it further.

"Pause?" I questioned, Alice was still a vampire and definitely not paused.

"_No living thing can interfere with her current state, she will not change to any great extent." _Death explained with an other sigh

_"_Ok what was the issue?" I asked

_"__Interference, I did just say that and unless you've cut your ears of I'm sure you heard. Both are possible I suppose." _

"No I mean what happened?" I urged knowing he was trying not to give me a straight answer,

_"__Look I would love to tell you and I'm sure your reaction would be priceless, though I'm not going to tell you. It would cause a lot of problems, none of which could be solved easily. So unless you can solve problems and carry out huge scale cover ups then I'm not telling."_

"Maybe you should consider telling me, I wouldn't want to ask the office. But I have a number for them," I spoke warily and I heard a dry chuckle from the other end of the line.

_"Backstabbing, blackmail and even after I gave you immortality for selfish reasons? You should be an advocate in the courts! Ok look, I can get you the file on the issue but you have to promise not to speak of it again. If you do anything to signal you know then that's it! For both of us."_ The man insisted as I took a breath, realising I had just blackmailed Death himself.

"Ok,"

_"Oh and if you ever try to blackmail me again I will edit Mike Newton's file," _Death threatened, I was not sure how that would affect me.

_"__So unless your happy to receive detailed erotica, animations and images depicting the two of you in various acts, along with say excessive stalking, indecent exposure and a public proposal then don't annoy me!" _Oh! He was threatening to give me a stalker, well another one and in fairness Newton was already one. Though this threat was on a different scale. A scale which churned my stomach.

The terrified silence told Death all he needed to know.

_"__I'm glad you understand and next time you want to talk to me, send an email and put Death as the address. It will go to my private account, never try and contact the office again. If Fate finds out and she's here, right bye now Bella," _ I was then cut off as I hear a door opening and high heels clicking the floor. What was his boss doing in his house anyway, I decided I really didn't want to know.

_Oh and Edward pay you a visit tonight,__you might want to talk to Jakey boy _the text came through a few seconds later and I was even more confused. I didn't help I was still half terrified of the idea of being stalked even more by Newton but I supposed he was Death and I hadn't paid Jake a visit in a while. It would be nice to talk to a boy who wasn't a vampire or obsessed stalker. Though I was not sure why talking to him would keep Edward away, then again as it was a chance to keep away Edward I was going to take it with both hands.


	5. Chapter 5

Tricks of the Dead

"Bella are you ok?" Jacob Black asked me the moment I arrived in La Push, he was asking the same question every Vampire in the world it seemed had elected to ask. Though he looked different, very different in fact. The tall lanky boy was gone and replaced with a muscular study person who carried his now handsome looks and imposing frame. He had changed very quickly, amazingly so.

"Yeah fine, when did you start working out?" I asked still seeing him tall and thin, he let out a throaty laugh, something had happened to him. Death himself had told me to come here and I had a sudden feeing there was something else going on. Something the dark bureaucrat wanted me to either find out or ignore.

"Eh got bored." He excused clearly not ready to talk to me about it, I however was disbelieving.

"I get bored and I don't suddenly become a tall stud." He hugged me which was something he had never done before and yet I hugged back, though he quickly felt the cold on my skin and I caught him gazing into my eyes.

"You feel a bit cold Bella," he commented lightly, was he checking I wasn't a vampire?

"I feel cold, it's why I came to the beach." I smiled studying him, there was something different about him to boot, I just couldn't place what.

"Where's the boyfriend?" Jacob inquired,

"Ditched, it wasn't working out." I told him and with those words he was thrilled, suddenly a lot more happy and it almost confirmed to me he knew the Cullen's were vampires. Though how was the question,

"Jacob what the hell is Sam doing?" I asked remembering the name and seeing him and two other people on a cliff, then one person was thrown off.

"Cliff diving," he said it so causally and was obviously amused by my gaping face. People cliff dived? That seemed a bit dangerous, hell someone could do doing something like that.

"Not like there's a playground around here." Jacob chuckled and then my eyes flickered, normally I wouldn't even consider doing something so reckless, dangerous and injury inviting but then again being immortal had its benefits.

"I want to try." I announced and Jacob's face went from amusement to shock, I stood looking at him with a determined, stubborn face one that no man with any sense would argue with.

"What?" He questioned, ok men didn't have sense I learned that at least . Then again I really should have already know that.

"I. Want. To. Try." I pretty much spelled out my intentions and that strange slacked look remained solid on his face , I sighed.

"No you don't, it's very dangerous." Dangerous? That would worry me, if not for the fact I wasn't technically alive.

"Tell you what Jake, I'll handle the danger and you can be the quiet one." I smiled turning away, Jacob tried to speak or at least moved to but my determination must have silenced him. That or he just wanted to see me in my underwear, I supposed both could have been in play.

Half an hour later I was stood atop a relatively small cliff, Jacob had insisted and that battle I decided to leave. Looking down I could see the fast moving water, the rocks and the white foam and looking up allowed me to take in breaths of fresh cool air.

"It's not too late to late to back out Bella," Jacob was saying, mistaking my hesitation for fear. No, indeed my fear had gone the moment I saw Sam and many others from the reserve looking up, either laughing or joking and a desire to show off overpowered an unnecessary survival instinct.

"I'll bear that in mind." I jumped off the cliff less than a second later and was plummeting towards the water in a second. The rush was exhilarating, overpowering and I loved every second of it, though it seemed my undying state didn't stop the freezing waters sending shivers through me. I emerged from the water soaked, half naked and utterly grateful for the towel.

"Wow." I grinned as Jacob approached with the towel, he looked stunned. Obviously he had never expected me to actually to it and neither had any of the others who came over to high five and hug me. The boys had too many hugs as far as I was concerned.

The rest of the evening didn't involve me jumping off any cliffs, though I did end up taking part in a barbeque, apparently celebrating my breakup with Edward. Not exactly sure why but Jacob had seemed happy about it, he had also told a lot of people; too many. Then again I'd take celebrating over getting stalked by a vampire any day of the week.

Evening

It was well after midnight when I was roughly shaken awake by a dark and irritated Death. What was he doing here? I was half tempted to attack before I realised exactly who this person was.

"What the hell?" I jumped forward and the lights flickered on, my eyes were transfixed on the ungodly, rough looking Death. I saw black rings under his eyes, though there was a bundle of files under his arm.

"Ok lets hurry this up, do you have any idea how difficult it is to get a copy of these files? " Death held up the bundle, it was thick enough to call a table. I took a moment to process his presence, why hadn't he just knocked? or called? Hell he could have turned up with a marching band and I would have been less shocked,

"What?" I was too tried to think straight, my mind was only slowly working now. I had asked for something, oh it was Alice related.

"You see this Bella? Not long ago these files represented a legal system on the verge of collapse. One wrong move would have brought the entire thing down and just looking at these things is enough to make us shudder." Ok I wasn't entirely convinced he was actually talking to me but at least he had what I wanted.

"Collapse?" Could Death collapse? Wasn't he Death?

"Yep for one short decade there was a serious possibility the Time and Relations to Mortals Act could have fallen. Without that we would have fallen as one, luckily I had two options on the table." Why was he telling me this? Was there a reason or was I just being used a venting board.

"Ok and?" I inquired,

"Well one of them would be to wipe out the entire Vampire race, I was very close before the hiatus but these operations are bloody expensive. It would have drained the budget and Fate would have murdered me." Wow he ordered and talked about genocide with a lot of ease and I was slightly concerned expenses prevented him from carrying out an act of mass murder.

"Though that twat Dave had already been given patronage to author the Vampire Reform Project , if that idiot had of given Jasper a different power or given Alice an actual mate, he can't complete your file and he can't complete anyone else's." Whoever this "Dave" idiot was all I knew was Death hated him and he had screwed my entire file before trying to get me to marry Edward with his reform thing. I didn't like him.

"Ok Death, is there anything else."

" I am about to hand you something which almost brought the entire afterlife down, if one side had been upheld then all of our files would be almost meaningless, if the other was upheld then everything would have been called into question." I was lost, what was going on about?

"Death I have no idea what you're saying but what's the problem." I tried to interrupt.

"The problem is, we would have some kind of moral dimension." He sounded purely disgusted "We would have to actively help people."

"That's bad." I could see him being the kind to not help people.

"Business isn't about helping people, especially when ours is a legislative business with a judiciary! We're not here to help people Bella, which brings me onto the next point. Neither are you." What? Why was I not being allowed to help?

"Whatever you discover is yours to deal with, you are immortal and off file. I shredded it, now if it gets discovered we pretend it was a mistake, if you end up exposing us then..."

"Fine and prison." I finished remembering this part in the conversation.

"And, this file would be priority again. As long as Tiff stops pressing for a revival then it will die, this single case which was thankfully put in hold by Fate herself. She wants it forgotten and you digging around, making noise could stop that. So I don't expect you to interfere, so if you find anything you can't tell anyone. At all!" Well I could deal with another regulation so I nodded in agreement.

"Great, now before anyone realises I'm missing I better get back to the office, though listen to me carefully when I say this. Don't you dare mention the mere words; Alice-Jasper dilemma to anyone, I'm aware someone else knows more than they should but if this gets out then it will go the courts. Death as a whole will collapse, so remember."

"Don't tell anyone and if any asks I don't know you or anything about another world. Can I go to sleep now?" I finished with a sigh and the tall pale man simply chuckled before vanishing. I for my part threw my head back onto my pillow and slowly drifted off to sleep.

_Jasper - Alice Dilemma__  
__Summary Notes_

_Lady Fate on advice from her deputies has ruled that pursing this matter would be ill advised, it seems our current state both legally and politically is not secure. Therefore a period of fifty to one hundred years hiatus has been imposed for the required state to come about. This shall be reviewed periodically by the Counsel of Juries on advice from the most noble Death..._

Eight and a half pages, the summary notes alone were eight and a half pages. It was mindboggling, most of the language was twisted and Death noble? Did the person writing this actually meet him? How much effort did it take to find what I was after?

I was sitting in the school library, I had no interest in lunch and instead had taken out a few extracts of the frankly enormous file left with me. Though it wasn't helping much, my eyes skimmed the document once more. It seemed this case had been to court, or a dead court? I had no idea.

_The argument for Alice Cullen is simple, the interference of Jasper is a violation of the clearly labelled file bearing her name, this matter is up to the digression of Head of Sub-Immortal offices, who in this case is the most noble Tiffany. The file on Alice Cullen, a vampire, is hers to control and every effort must be used to prevent this injustice. _

So that seemed the opening speech, so something had happened which made Alice go off file? She was like me in many respects then,

_While morally my learned friend is correct legally he is not, the rules on the file system is over ruled by the Time and Relations to Mortals Act. This world cannot directly interfere with that of the living, including using non-file influence to change a course of action. While what Jasper Cullen is doing is despicable it would be unlawful for us to intervene. _

So Jasper was in the wrong, that was all agreed, but for some reason they weren't allowed to stop him? Sounds like Death's system borrowed from ours, though I was still unsure, then I saw it.

_Alice Cullen is not a heterosexually orientated woman, vampire or otherwise, Jasper Cullen has feelings for her and as his mate is not formally identified due to the still drafting Vampire reform project. _ Wasn't that the thing I was supposed to be on? I'm sure Death mentioned it. It had something to do with me marrying Edward though that idea was terrifying. No sickening. Anyway Alice was gay?

_The battle comes down to whether or not our long established precedents are overruled by the Time and Relations to Mortals act. _A note was in the file but I still didn't get it, Alice was gay and Jasper was... then my eyes caught what looked like some sort of criminal form.

_If agreed Jasper Cullen as a sub-immortal, still being mortal of course, must stand trial for perverting the course of Fate. The indictment is that over his time with Alice Cullen he consistently used his powers to manipulate and abuse her, making her think she was in love with him. A vile act. Indeed they prove he should never have been given these powers, perhaps we should revaluate their need in this Vampire reform project. _Any project that had been marrying Edward had to be scrapped, it just had to be. So my suspicions were right, Alice was being manipulated and she wasn't mated with Jasper.

I closed the file and put it away, feeling a mixture of revulsion and hatred against Jasper. How the hell could he do this? and what could I do about it? I wasn't allowed to tell anyone and I didn't want to wait however long before Death's people caught onto it. I cared about Alice and I wasn't going to see her trapped in a marriage with a man she didn't know she didn't like. So what could I do? Though suddenly my mind paused and I saw a small slip of white paper had fallen out of the file, it looked new and, different from the handwritten notes. Most of them had been typed.

_It has been seen that emotional manipulation with this power is unbreakable, at least to our methods. The only way for us to deal with it would be to take Jasper Cullen into custody and reverse the process. However this is against higher law, it seems that in absence of mate or actual overpowering strong feeling then it would be impossible to break it. _

So there was a way to save Alice, though I had to find her a mate or make her feel real love. I was suddenly feeling even more lost, how do you help someone who doesn't know they need helping?


	6. Chapter 6

Tricks of the Dead

Being immortal may have its benefits, though unfortunately there is also a single, terrifying drawback. Shopping trips with Alice Cullen.

"No, not curvy enough." Well that criticism was a new one, I had been going back and forth from the changing rooms of store after store, trying on everything she asked me to with those wide pouty eyes. It turned out to be nearly impossible to say no, on one hand she looked so convincing and cute and on the other it was very difficult to refuse a person you know is being manipulated.

"Hmm not sure," Alice muttered carefully studying a small dress which rested uncomfortably high above my knees, Alice was walking around me with narrowed eyes. I had spent all week trying to think of a way to get Alice out of Jasper's hold. Though I had nothing, however I did earn an even deeper hatred of Jasper. One day when he dies I was hoping Death would condemn him to an eternity with whatever I could cook up. I'm sure he'd let me help considering the whole _overworked _and underfunded thing.

"Alice why am I modelling underwear for you?" I asked, not entirely sure I would get an answer.

"Because looking at you is more better than looking at a mirror," I thought that was a compliment.

"You see looking in a mirror, I get lost in perfection. Thankfully you're still a few shades short," she dashed that hope and with a pixie wink I was trying on something that resembled a floral swimsuit. Alice could be bittersweet sometimes, though you had to love her.

"So how's single life treating you?" I was asked from behind a thin wooden door, the store was practically empty, thankfully I lived in a small town so it meant odds were only Alice would ever see me wearing this stuff.

"Great actually, I forgot how easy it is to get away with doing pretty much nothing when your single," I chuckled, I had spent most of my time with Edward before the breakup and now I was trying to reduce that to none. While the stalking had thankfully simmered away there was still the glance across the room and that one time I had to fight to get a new seat in Biology but other than that it had been mostly quiet. Mostly, though time was a fickle thing and I had a feeling I wasn't in the clear just yet.

"So what about married life?" I inquired gently, hating the words but I had to at least pretend I was ok with it,

"Huh? Oh yeah its fine," Alice answered almost on automatic and in that split second I made the choice to pursue it.

"You sure?" I asked trying to sound as if I was making conversation, I heard Alice pace slightly. The next time she spoke there was something in her voice I had never paid attention to, a strain of sorts. One I was hoping to exploit.

"Oh yeah, it's always great, I don't think it's changed really in... ever." Maybe her mind was going to work it out,

"Trust me you need change," I commented with a degree of hope

"I know, which is why I brought you here so are you going to show me the clothes or not?" Her voice returned to normal and my hope dropped, instead I emerged from the changing room. At least Alice's face lit up, then she made me twirl.

"Perfect, see Bella we found the perfect outfit." She beamed circling me, while adjusting my position with her usual smile.

"And it only took five and a half hours." I commented looking at the clock after letting out a long overdue sigh. Maybe my ordeal was finally over, fashion was just not something for me, I'd leave it to Alice. She was clearly more able to live in this world than me.

"Perfection takes time, I spent a long time achieving it and look Bella, your making baby steps. One day you might just reach my level." She spoke softly and hit me with a sultry wink. I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Oh I'll never be as perfect as you Alice," I told her sarcastically and her hand very gently slipped into mine, her eyes widened and for a second she gave me a pitying glance. She gave a fake sniff.

"I know Bella, but your perfect in your own way. Promise." She stuck her lip out and I moved to brush her off, then her other hand suddenly moved to touch my hair. It paused over it and I didn't do or say anything as Alice was caught up in a world of her own. I allowed myself a slight flicker of hope, maybe our closeness would break her out of it.

"Huh I never noticed," she muttered to herself and I titled my head, what was going on? A cold hand slowly brushed my hair, taking in the texture and Alice for a second was transfixed.

"Your hair, its... shiny." Then like waking up from a trance Alice took a step back and for her nothing had happened, though a playful grin quickly overcame her.

"Come on, we still need to find me something hot to wear." She nodded her head in time with her words,

"What about this?" I gestured to what she had made me wear and the pixie haired vampire simply shook her head from side to side

"No hun, its looks hot on you. Now let's hurry up and find something for me, the store closes in an hour or two." I sighed as I was forcibly taken back into the world of fashion, the one world I didn't want to be immortal. Fashion.

Meanwhile

In a rundown office, filled with takeaway boxes and overused coffee cups two men dressed in white security suits laid flat out. Their eyes glazed over with boredom and a string of magazines lying on the floor, trailing to a computer screen which hadn't moved in years. Then breaking that tradition there a beep, one of the men blinked and looked up.

"Did you hear that?" He asked looking at his much fatter associate who mumbled something, he then looked at the screen which for the first time ever under his watch had changed. The man leapt up, knocking cans of drink to the side and sending a plate into his associate.

"What's going on, that screen hasn't changed in fifty years." Was the eventual response, the other man however did not listen, he studied the screen.

"It's changed, we have a new reading." The words got the fat man on his feet and he moved with unseen speed to the computer, the digits had changed, the name Alice Cullen was at the top of the screen. The fatter man picked up one of two red phones at the side of the desk. There was an F embroiled into the hilt.

"Whoa man what are you doing, this isn't for _her_." The other began but he was cut off,

"Trust me it is. Excuse me mam, this is officer three five nine, Alice Cullen has registered as level two."

Night

_In absence of mate or actual overpowering strong feeling then it would be impossible to break it._

I had read that part of the file over and over again, every time I read it; it just drummed in how I was not equipped to deal with it. How could I find her a mate, I couldn't find myself a partner let alone find Alice her true love. It made me feel worse and worse, there was so little I could do. The rest of the file didn't help either, most of it was legal arguments and unless I found a way for Jasper to be arrested by Death there was nothing else.

"Oh Alice." I muttered to myself with a deep sigh, though as I muttered I felt a shiver run through me and my attention was drawn to a small brown envelope. Gently I opened it, there was a tiny skull shaped, black, wax seal. A picture fell out of the file, though a slip of paper with black ink on it also fell out. One I quickly forgot about the moment I noticed the image.

It was Alice, wearing nothing but her underwear, looking.. good. I was drawn to her, there was beauty about the picture, a sweetness almost. Something that made her look good in a hundred ways, my attention was torn between her curves and legs. Eventually after time, I had no idea how long, I was brought back to my sense and put the picture down. Trying to ignore the hot flush spreading through me.

Meanwhile

The moment that phone had rung everything had stopped, a man sitting at an angled desk outside a huge glass and oak door had begun his work. Slowly, but surely, he had called around and once the form was filled out he rose. He was a scrawny, plump man with a flick of reddish hair and a frightening number of disproportionate freckles. He walked in what resembled a march,

"Enter," a high, cold voice requested and the man walked in. He was judged by stormy violet eyes the entire time.

"Lady Fate, there's been a development on the Alice-Jasper dilemma."

Bella

"I still don't get why you dumped him." Jessica had not let the subject drop since I broke up with that manipulating asshole but some people just didn't get it.

"You try dating that, then tell me how it is." I commented but I knew she did want to date him, though then again she hadn't yet had the pleasure of being _influenced. _

" I'm not in it for the time, I'm in it for the looks. I mean have you looked at him?" she muttered in something of a haze,

"I went out with him for how long? I think I might have looked at him at least once or twice." I commented dryly suddenly looking for a way out of this conversation.

"Can I talk to Bella for a moment?" A voice which sent a shiver down my spine followed I had to fight the urge to cling to Jessica and run away but instead she gracefully slunk away.

"What do you want?" My mind said to be civil but my tone came out as cold, almost harsh but Jasper either didn't see it or he just didn't care. I supposed when it came to people around him he was past the point of caring about what they thought, I mean he had the power to simply change it.

"I just wanted to know how your night with Alice went," oh this was rich, he wanted to make sure whatever made me stop loving Edward didn't happen to Alice. Suddenly he sickened me even more,

"Oh we had a great time, she just made me try on clothes all night." I forced a smile which disguised my urge to rip him in half.

"Anything interesting happen?" He asked lightly in a probing voice, I shook my head. Though as I did I wondered if he was trying to manipulate me, though I could feel nothing and my opinions on anyone failed to change.

"No, nothing." I assured him in a very final tone which was only disguising my contempt, Jasper Cullen did not have long before I snapped. Though I heard his nostrils flare and he inhaled deeply,

"Are you ok Bella, there's still something about you." He said in a voice which slowly lowered to a growl, I shook my head.

"I'm fine, trust me. Now as a quick note you might want to actually ask Alice how her night was, it's what _loving _couples do right? Ask each other personal things? Make sure they're ok." I commented and Jasper said nothing, instead he nodded and turned away. I glared at his back as he slowly vanished into the crowd. The only thing I was looking forward for him was the day Alice realised everything that was going on and left. Hopefully landing a few very hard punches in the process.


	7. Chapter 7

Tricks of the Dead

Gym, why did it have to be Gym when our idiot of a teacher put me and Mike Newman together? I had been avoiding him with expertise every day since I broke up with Edward, the most I had spoken to him was a quick hello. Though on the whim of a teacher we were suddenly partners in dance, which somehow had become something to do in Physical Education. Though my problems with school were mostly nonexistent , well other than my Mike Newman related problems were nonexistent. I was still up most nights trying to work out how best to help Alice, but I was still nowhere near solving the problem.

"Ok now boys, hands on your partners hips." I had to move up close to Mike Newton but before either of us had said anything the teacher spoke, there was no way in hell I was letting Newman do that. His hands moved and I was an inch away from slapping him,

"Bella Swan?" a voice called out from across the Gym and the entire class turned to see two men in the door, both looking around from stretched rotated necks and pointed faces which looked almost identical, from their chin to forehead it reminded me of a pincer. Ones which contained thin lips, dark shades and continued a sickly unnatural flavour of skin.

"Can I help you?" The Gym teacher asked the question with a curious look, the two men pulled out identification.

"Special agents Phillips and Wilks, FBI." The FBI? what the hell were FBI agents doing looking for me? It dawned on me less than a second after a muffled shockwave ran through the class, these men were not FBI. They weren't even from the government, I had a very dark feeling I was now dealing with agents in Death's world.

"Bella Swan we need to ask you a few questions." One of the near identical men asked,

"What about?" I asked trying my best to look innocent, I have no idea if it worked. Instead the man took off his shaded glasses to reveal shallow, quizzical, eyes.

"We just need to ask you a few questions." He told me in a smooth, refined voice and with all eyes on me I slowly walked with the two, just until we were outside of the Gym.

"What do you want?" I asked trying to act like a girl playing up to authority, the two looked at me in a strange way. I wondered if they knew I wasn't technically alive,

"What's your relationship to Alice Cullen?" The other man, on my right, asked immediately

"She's my friend." I stated simply, there was no doubt about it; they were here from Death's world, but I doubted he sent them.

"And Jasper Cullen?"

"Friend's boyfriend, why has something happened to Alice?." I answered hoping to sound like a concerned teenager,

"No she's fine." the answer was surprisingly blunt and tactless. Then again both of them were blunt and tactless but I needed to be very careful, one wrong move and I'd wind up incriminating Death or worse, me. I wasn't sure if I could get into trouble with these people but I wasn't going to test them.

"So why are you asking about her?" I inquired, this time a slight smirk entered the conversation, I did know who they were after all.

"We just need some information, has anything happened to you recently Miss Swan?" I had no idea which agent was which.

"Call me Bella and no, nothing interesting. Unless you count breaking up with a boyfriend." I said it casually, it was no big thing.

"Your boyfriend being Edward Cullen Miss Swam?" The next question ignored my instructions to be casual but hey these people didn't do casual.

"How do you know that?" I asked, if these men were pretending to be FBI then they would not be getting away with spying on me, the two didn't say anything yet again.

"We've asked around, Miss Swan has anyone of an unusual nature approached you?" Were these two seriously going to ask if I'd met Death by asking if he was of an unusual nature? I had to hold back a laugh.

"I know a lot of weirdo's but unless you're going to arrest most of the boys in this school then no." I told them and one sighed very deeply, as if was trying to work something out. I just hoped that _something _wasn't if I was telling the truth or not.

"Thank you Bella, we have no further questions for you. If you or your friend Alice are approached by someone you think is dangerous then call us." The one on the left handed me a card with a number and Federal logo. I wondered just where this call would be redirected to in the real world.

"Sure thing," I promised and with that, and a smile, the two turned and walked away. They were out of sight in less than a minute.

I spent the rest of Gym saying I had no idea why those "Feds" wanted to talk to me, by the end of the class six people thought I was in witness protection. Now while Forks would be an ideal place for someone to hide, I was not one of them.

By the end of my next class the entire class thought I was wanted criminal or fugitive, that was easy to dispute. Though it didn't work. By the time lunchtime had come around all eyes were on me in the cafeteria and the whispers ranged from me being a witness to a crime, to be being a mob boss's daughter. I supposed it would be an interesting change of career for Charlie but one I had a feeling he had not undertaken.

"Careful guys, don't let little Miss Mobster whack you." Alice's greeting made me chuckle, everyone except Edward was at the usual table. It was strange the only people I knew who didn't believe rumours were Vampires, then again even me being a criminal was more plausible than the truth.

"Yeah Bella, I've got a little trouble going on, maybe you could send a goon to sort it all out?" Emmet asked slyly and I sighed, why did those agents have to pose as FBI? I mean were they just trying to cause something like this? Then again they did work for Death so being malicious wasn't entirely out of the questions.

"Great any more of these coming?" I asked putting my head down with a sigh.

"No, but you can tell us why the feds would want to talk to you, I mean there are much more interesting people in this world." Rosalie smiled bitter sweetly, thankfully cutting of any further jokes. Though everyone did lean in, even Jasper, to find out why.

"Nothing, they just wanted to ask me a few questions about someone Charlie knew, some sort of police thing." I reasoned, having rehearsed and cited that answer almost a hundred times. Rosalie's eyes darted to the side, she didn't believe me. Though thankfully everyone else seemed to.

"Oh that's boring." Emmet dismissed with no more than a shrug of the shoulders.

"You're right, Bella pretend to be something interesting." Alice instructed, oh so I wasn't interesting enough; being more immortal than her? I was half tempted to tell her but it might not be a good idea with agents of Death skulking about.

"Oh tell you what I'll pretend to be a teenage girl who's met a vampire coven." I smirked,

"Trust me one of those isn't that interesting." Alice retorted, sticking her tongue out slightly, the sultry wink that followed made me shiver; giving me flashbacks to the picture I still found myself looking at.

"I'll have to prove you wrong." I winked and my eyes fell on Jasper who was looking at both me and Alice with an odd look, though he said nothing ultimately.

"Aww look at you two, exchanging quips. I'd say it was cute if it wasn't so boring." Rosalie interrupted though I noticed her eyes also frowned on Jasper. Just for a second.

"Hey at least we have cuteness. Someone needs to around here and now I have another person to be cute with." Alice beamed back at her, Rosalie just short her a dark glare and flicked her long blond hair with evident irritation. Alice simply nodded her head and turned back to me.

"So Bella when's our next shopping trip?" Alice interjected, changing the subject entirely.

"Don't overwhelm her." Jasper spoke and tried to pass it off as a smile, and I noticed ever so slowly Alice's face fell, like she was either embarrassed or ashamed. She looked ready to apologise and suddenly anger was flooding through me, my veins were alight and my urge to kill Jasper had to be suppressed. A very common feeling now.

"How about Saturday?" I offered with a determined look ,putting aside my shopping opinions and just trying to piss off the bastard who was trying to manipulate her. I almost jumped for joy when Alice lit up and Jasper, well he looked like someone had thrown him off a building.

Night

I was half asleep, the day had been long and little by little the entire town had become aware that two supposed FBI agents had been looking for me. Charlie was furious and wanted to lodge a complained, thankfully I talked him out of it; he couldn't complain against agents who I doubted even existed. Though eventually after an uneventful night I had gone to bed,

"What the hell did you do?" This time I nearly screamed as the usual cold voice of Death filled the room, the light switched on and there he was. The pale skinned, sunken eyes and stressed dark hair of Death. I took deep breaths to recover.

"What is it with you and scaring the life out of me."

"Not a problem you can't die. Look I just got a call, Fate wants your file and she also sent two of her idiots to talk to you. Then I get a notification saying I've been called up for Judge duty. Judge Duty!" The last words took me a while to take in, what was wrong with Judge duty.

"What's so bad about that?" I asked when I had calmed myself down enough to process what was going on.

"Judge Duty means for the next three weeks I have to listen to cases in the Fate Criminal Courts, its three weeks of sitting, listening and sentencing. You have to listen to those stupid arguments about every idiot was predestined to commit crimes." I thought he made everyone's file? Death confused me, both the man and the institution.

"Ok what does that have to do with me."

"Fate only ever puts me on Judge Duty when she thinks something's going on." Ahh, so she knew something was going on.

"Ok, how has she found out?" I asked in a voice lowered to a whisper, I wanted to keep it down in case I woke Charlie up.

"Talk as loud as you want, for the next three hours your father is in a virtual coma." Oh great now he was putting people in comas. It's an ideal solution to problems of course!

"Anyway she hasn't found out, you see there is an office on the lower floors of the building, uniquely there are two guards and two phones in this office. One phone connects directly to me, the other to Lady Fate's office. That office is responsible for monitoring Alice Cullen, on Friday her readings changed." Ok, what did that mean? Wait had something caused the influence over her to waver? I was hopeful.

"Today I got the call, they changed again and I was summoned before Fate. Fate was already getting ready for a potential emergency, then she found out I got a copy of the Alice- Jasper dilemma, from there our guards tell us you were the disturbance and then she wanted your file. It's gone _missing _remember? " Death explained and looked at me with a concerned expression . Ok , this didn't sound good but maybe it could be fixed?

"Ok so what's she going to do?"

"She's going to look for your file, when she can't find it she'll take further action, most likely try and find out exactly what's going on."

"Maybe she'll help sort everything out?" I suggested and Death scoffed,

"I told you not to help, take it from me the only way to help Alice is to take Jasper Cullen into custody and reverse the process,. This is however against our higher laws, meaning inabsence of mate or any actual overpowering strong feeling then it would be impossible to break his control." Death was saying.

"I didn't try to help, I was just trying to.. wait a moment." The way Death said that, it was almost exactly like the way that note was worded, the handwritten note.

"Look Bella somehow Jasper's control over Alice was weakened, so I don't how you got the idea to use your connection romantically..." Wait a moment when did I ever do that? _You let her pick your underwear, talked to her about her marriage with you half naked and looked at that picture time and time again_ nasty voice inside my head answered the question.

"I'm not a moral man, and trust me I want Jasper Cullen to get a harsh punishment but..."

"How do you know I did that?" I asked cutting him off there, something was wrong here.

"What do you mean? I'm Death." He answered but I ignored him, there was something else.

"You gave me that file with the Jasper- Alice dilemma in a place I would read it, you gave the files without much trouble and inside was a note and a picture. Now I don't know about the note but that picture is not something for a courtroom." He had set this up! He gets called up for Judge duty and he wants to see Jasper punished.

"I haven't done anything." He stated quickly, too quickly.

"Yes you did, you wrote the note, you gave me that picture. Death!" he looked slightly awkward.

"You care." I stated with a chuckle, he actually cared. I thought he was just trying to get all this out of the way, but he was the one pulling the strings. I was amazed, blown away and taunting him with a smile on my face.

"Ugh, fine ok! I care, Alice Cullen has been kept imprisoned for years, Jasper Cullen has committed gross offences and ok maybe I wanted to see him fall," Death sighed losing his sarcastic tone for just a moment.

"So you did organise all this." I had just managed to outsmart Death himself, I had never been so happy.

"A little bit, look when you become immortal I realised that because of who you were and the fact you were so close to Alice, there was a chance someone could demand your file at the next hearing so..."

"So you handed me the file and set me on this course to save Alice, Death! I don't believe, you care about something." I was shocked, seriously I had always seen Death as a unfeeling boss who no one liked.

"It was a way to solve the dilemma, everyone would have been so happy no legal conclusion was reached you would have been ignored, also it would have found you an immortal life partner." He confessed looking caught out.

"Immortal life partner?" I questioned, what did he mean by that.

"You're kidding me! Bella how many times have you been drawn to that picture over the last few days?" He asked with a smile, he was back on top of the conversation now as was his sarcastic tone. Well at least he was back to normal.

"A few."

"You also want Jasper's balls in a vice because he hurt Alice?" Death asked and I nodded in vicious confirmation. I wanted him to suffer a lot.

"And your going out with Alice at every opportunity, despite she's doings the thing you hate. Shopping to you Bella is what peace was to Nazi Germany." Well that was a tasteless metaphor.

"Bella I hate to break this to you, you are in love with Alice Cullen." Death spoke the last few words so loud I was glad Charlie was in a coma.

"I'm.." I tried to deny it, I trailed off. Death just chuckled and rose to his feet.

"Bella, you were the one who started trying to free Alice, you're the one who's been pursuing this and you're the one who can finally end this thing and have Jasper Cullen brought before me in chains. You, I may have started you on the path, but you leapt forward and now; we both know why." Death spoke slowly, softly and he was enjoying every second if it Then he stood to his feet.

"Fate won't act for a few days, you might get another visit from her agents. We don't have long so you need to act quickly, get Alice away from Jasper for good, bring that bastard down." Death half ordered and with that he was gone. Leaving me speechless.


	8. Chapter 8

Tricks of the Dead

"So we can have a slumber party with girl talk, shopping talk, clothes talk, fashion talk, trying on clothes talk, actually trying on clothes and maybe a movie if we have time. You know as long as you don't fall asleep on me." Alice beamed half pushing me into the Cullen household, somehow our shopping plans transformed into shopping and then a slumber party, because both of us had very suddenly dropped down to eleven. Though I couldn't complain, mainly because it was one of Alice's plans and no one interfered with them, but I supposed I did like spending time with Alice. Though thankfully the shopping expedition was over early, for some reason almost every shop was closed. Someone mentioned the flu so I was suspicious.

"Wow, I never thought I'd see two teenage girls get so excited over a slumber party." Rosalie sighed the moment I entered the home, the rest of the family were going hunting and Alice was postponing her trip. A little part of me hissed that I was glad to be alone with Alice at night but ever since Death announced I loved her, because he knows better than anyone of course, I had been unable to shut that tiny voice up.

"I think it's cute. Everyone needs a bit of fun." Esme interjected with a warm smile, delighted at the sight of me and Alice beaming. However it did seem as if she was one of the few people happy, Carlise being the only other. Edward left the house the moment I entered, and shot me a dark look for good measure; he had been giving me the silent brooding treatment for quite some time now. It had been a great, enjoyable time as I didn't have to speak to him and a time I wanted to continue long into the future.

As for the others; Emmet had already left, Jasper had been glaring at both me and Alice since the moment I walked in, hopefully the bastard realised his days were numbered but I could only hope. The only other one around was Rosalie and she was never happy, it was her version of life. One she shared with Death in a way, both hating the world but silently caring about a few things. At some point I would have to get them to meet.

"Well we should be going, bye you two. Don't end up destroying anything, Alice." Carlise smiled as he moved to leave,

"Why me?" Alice asked looking confused and throwing her hands out

"Because I have more trust in Bella, have fun." Carlise chuckled before strolling out the door, leaving behind an Alice with a look of mock anger, then Jasper approached.

"See you Alice, love you." He smiled in a face which turned my stomach, Alice though looked oblivious.

"See you." She nodded and Rosalie shot me a quizzical look when Alice didn't give her supposed husband a hug, kiss or any sign of affection whatsoever. It made my heart leap and Jasper looked scared, I wanted to see that face again when Death gave him his punishment, one he had to let me design.

"Ok." Jasper reluctantly left the room and I could only suppress that satisfied smirk for a few moments, his power had to be weak now. Maybe, just maybe I could break it. Rosalie turned to leave,

"Goodbye children." She announced sarcastically but as she turned my eye caught her, _you're explaining soon _she mouthed before leaving the room in a dramatic flair. So she had picked up on something being wrong, I wondered how much she knew.

"Alice why have you got a sleeping bag?" I asked, she was unrolling two sleeping bags on the living room floor, she looked at me as if I had just asked the most stupid question in the world. Then again that look was coming from someone with a purple and pink pair of sleeping bags, both looked a little to flamboyant for my liking.

"It's a slumber party silly, it needs to look the part." Well that was all the explanation I was going to get and most likely the only explanation she had, though it was slightly strange as neither of us needed to sleep. For me it was refreshing and possible but I didn't need it, Alice however couldn't sleep.

"Ok, how much more logic are you going to bring into this?" I asked sweetly, Alice beamed at me.

"Bella! You're trying to be clever, good for you. You can do it if you really work at it." She told me with an affirmative nod and a wink which left me out of responses. Instead I moved to sit on the couch,

"No! on the floor, we need to play the part." Alice warned in a stern motherly tone, complete with wagging finger.

"Of what eight year olds?" I wondered aloud rolling my eyes, it did seem as if we were playing the role of kids. Then again Alice was a big kid in all but appearance.

"More like eleven but hey whatever floats your boat." Alice shrugged before jumping to the floor and crossing her legs. From there I found myself entering a conversation which changed topic every few seconds. It started with general fashion, led onto my love life and everywhere in between. From the conversation we ended up playing games, games which often focused on me answering questions about personal matters. Why I left Edward, who I found attractive and how pretty I thought Alice was.

"Your dazzling." I told her without a trace of humour and winked at her, while flashing the sweetest smile I had. It must have had an effect for the girl looked dazed and her eyes slowly but surely became more and more vacant.

"Alice," I said, there was no response and only when I shook her did she journey back to reality. It was as if then she had forgotten what I said, though I wasn't convinced as clothes came up again and the ones that weren't on show became a particular hot topic.

"Ok and go." Somehow Alice managed to talk me into doing a catwalk for her, first I had been given a dress to wear, then a number of skirts which got shorter and shorter. Then before midnight had been reached I was wearing swimwear, the most revealing kind.

"Oooh, you know if you went to the beach in that every guy there would be watching." Alice complimented the second she saw me and then when I thanked her a devious smirk played on her face.

"Though that's not all they would be doing." She commented while I twirled. Instead of responding I slowly and purposely moved closer and closer to her, putting on a slow and seductive dance show and by the time I had finished Alice was just staring at me.

"What, see something you like?" I asked with the same devious smirk she tormented me with only moment earlier. Though once again she slipped into that vacant stare but this time I just couldn't stand it. I was torn between anger, that someone had done this to her, hurt that she was stuck unknowingly in a loveless relationship and then there was another feral feeling which flooded through me. I moved in closer, then in one violent and forced act I slipped my arms around her neck and locked her in a kiss. One which was responded too within a few moments and electricity, power and a hundred other feelings erupted within me.

Then as I revelled in that sweet comforting feeling there was a vibrant flash and then I was falling, my eyes began to close and my head hit the floor. For a few crucial seconds my mind seemed ready to fall into unconsciousness, then I managed to claw myself back to standing position. Alice was on the floor, shaking. Her eyes were rolling in their sockets, her mouth was trembling and twitching.

"Alice," I called for her, though there was no response. She was seizing, shaking, at one point her hand caught the table and it shattered.

_Do something Bella _my mind ordered but I had no idea what to do, how could I help her? What did you give a vampire when they were? It came to me then and there, I had one thing which I didn't even need and Alice could thrive on. My eyes fell upon a glass shard from the table, in one swift move I made a long cut on my wrist.

"Bella," Alice tried to protest as I put my bloodied wrist into her mouth. I felt an intense pull and Alice was drinking away.

Meanwhile 

In the office which had become a tension point for a few long days shock broke out, the two guards watched as their screens burst into life. Lines and data moved in erratic confusing patterns and then after a few long seconds the screens erupted in sparks, the room was filled with light and then it died down. Leaving no data, no chart, indeed nothing whatsoever. One of the guards picked up the phone.

"Lady Fate, I think the Alice-Jasper has just been solved."

Morning

Alice had been out like a light all night, other than the occasional noise and shiver there was no sign she was even alive and I had no idea what happened. She was somehow asleep, I had hoped Death would show up and help me but no.

"What have you done?" A voice which sent a chill down my spine entered the room, it was impossible and the dark cold nature of the voice told me all I needed to know.

"It's over, you bastard." I snarled and sure enough Jasper was standing there, looking ready to cry, scream or worse. I stood up to my full height, my wrist was now healed and I just glared at him.

"No it's not. She is my wife." He protested, I wondered just how he knew his hold had been broken but I didn't care, the fact he was here proved to me he had lost.

"No she's not, you forced her using your powers. Everything you did was fake and I'll see you punished for it." I vowed with a stare which could freeze ice, Jasper didn't flinch he just looked at me. Fixed me with a look I just couldn't explain.

"How did you find out?" He asked but I didn't answer, I didn't actually have any explanation but even if I did I wasn't going to give him one. I just watched as he began to pace, I was stood in front of Alice; guarding her in a way.

"Why did you do it?" I asked eventually, why would he do this? It was the one thing I never quite got.

"I needed a mate and she was..." he tried to explain himself but there was no way he could now, I just wanted to rip him apart piece by piece.

"You're disgusting," I spat "And you're done, you'll never hurt her again."

"I never hurt her once, everything I did she wanted." I couldn't believe him, he would try and justify everything by saying he didn't hurt her? I wanted him to suffer more than ever.

"Oh shut it, if you want to try to excuse what you did then talk to someone else, someone who doesn't hate you. Manipulating her and me doesn't do much for my opinion of you." I told him and he paused,

"You know a lot more than I thought Bella, I want to know how you found out?" Jasper smiled in a sick way which made his quizzical look make me even more sick.

"Well I wish you luck with that, but we don't have that long." I told him with all the venom I could muster. Knowing Death he would act quickly to make sure Jasper didn't have a chance to nearly destroy his legal system again.

"No we don't." Jasper spoke those words and then before I could blink he was next to me, his hand reached out and pulled me closer. I tried to kick out, punch back but he was still a vampire and immortality did not give me his strength. I tried to fight and it seemed to amuse him slightly and in one swift motion he wrenched me behind his shoulder and as if I was nothing I felt him speed away, with me locked in place. He had just kidnapped me.


End file.
